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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25922794">Thunderstorm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Classchic1/pseuds/Classchic1'>Classchic1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A New Reality [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Interracial Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:01:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25922794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Classchic1/pseuds/Classchic1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Late one night, Ben’s youngest child wakes up from scared because of a bad storm. Ben goes to comfort her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Stone/Shambala Green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A New Reality [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881319</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thunderstorm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is set in the same universe as my story Law of Attraction! Thus the same fancast is used: Ciara Stone is played by blue eyed!Akira Akbar</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">In the very early hours on a Saturday morning, a thunderstorm raged outside the suburban household of the Stone family. The rain pounded the roof as thunder crashed like waves above. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">One particularly loud clap of thunder startled the patriarch of the household, Ben Stone, from his slumber. The thunder clap was then followed by a bright bolt of lightning as it flashed through his shaded bedroom window. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Yawning and blinking the sleep from his eyes, Ben slowly sat up from his bed but his movement woke his wife on his right. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ben?” asked the sleep filled voice of Shambala.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It’s okay honey. I’m just getting some water. Go back to sleep,” Ben replied. Shambala hummed in response and snuggled back under their covers. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">After putting his feet into his slippers, Ben padded his way out of his bedroom; however, before he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, Ben heard the whimper of his youngest child. Abandoning his quest for water, Ben went to investigate. When he opened the door, Ben saw a lump of covers around what he assumed was the shaking form of his six year old daughter Ciara. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Approaching his youngest child and laid a gentle hand on the top of the covered form, Ben said, “Ciara?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Papa?” the little girl whimpered and peaked her little head from under the covers.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Ben asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Looking down at the covers with an embarrassed expression etched across her small face. “Nothin’,” Ciara said with a few tears falling down her face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sweetheart, come on now. You’d still be fast asleep if nothing was wrong,” Ben reasoned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ciara bit her bottom lip but threw herself into her father’s chest when another thunderclap sounded. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Cradling his youngest, Ben stroked the little girl’s thick black hair and feigned ignorance as he asked gently, “Is it the thunder?” Ciara nodded, little hiccups escaping her as she fought against her tears and fear.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben smiles gently at the little girl dressed in her pink footed pajamas, and says, “How about you and I go down stairs, huh?” To which, Ciara nodded and wrapped her thin little arms around Ben’s neck. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben the carried the little girl out of the room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Once they made it into the kitchen, Ben sat down at the kitchen table and placed his youngest child into his lap. After the child was situated, Ben looked the child over and his heart ached at Ciara’s fear filled eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Now Ciara, why didn’t you come to your mother and me?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Cause it’s silly,” Ciara said as she knuckled her tear stained eyes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">At this, Ben lifted the little girl into his lap and absent mindedly tugged gently on the child’s padded foot. “Ciara, it’s never silly to be scared. Never.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But Papa, I’m supposed to be a big girl. Big girls aren’t scared,” said Ciara.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh no sweetheart... everyone’s scared of something.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Really?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben nodded in response. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Even grown-ups?” the child asked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes. Even grown-ups.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ciara paused in thought for a moment and then asked, “Even you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben smiled at her and replied, “Yes sweetheart, even me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But Papa, what could you be scared of? You’re so big,” Ciara asked. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben smiled at his daughter. The innocence of her youth was always refreshing to the harsh realities of his job at the DA’s office. “Well Ciara, sometimes I’m scared that bad guys don’t go to jail fast enough.” “Really Papa?” “Yes. But you see Ciara, it’s natural to be afraid. And no matter what, you can always come to me or your mother whenever you’re afraid. Okay?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay Papa,” Ciara said, she then snuggled up closer to her father. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ben smiled down at his baby girl. And then he felt compelled to lull the little girl further by singing an old lullaby that was sung to him by his Irish grandmother when he was young and then when the time came he’s sung the lullaby to every one of his children. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Over In Killarney,<br/>
Many years ago,</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Ben began, with his raspy voice</span> <em> <span class="tm6">, My Mother sang a song to me<br/>
In tones so sweet and low;<br/>
Just a simple little ditty,<br/>
In her good old Irish way,<br/>
And I’d give the world to hear her sing<br/>
That song of hers today.</span> </em></p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,<br/>
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don’t you cry!<br/>
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,<br/>
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that’s an Irish lullaby.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ciara, for a moment, looked up and smiled at her father. She’s always loved her father’s gravalley, Michigan accented voice but she especially loves these rare moments where he sings. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Oft, in dreams I wander<br/>
To that cot again.<br/>
I feel her arms a-hugging me<br/>
As when she held me then.<br/>
And I hear her voice a humming<br/>
To me as in days of yore,<br/>
When she used to rock me fast asleep<br/>
Outside the bedroom door.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">As Ben continued to sing, the rain seemed to lessen in its rage outside their home. This furthered soothed Ciara and soon her eyelids started to become heavy. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Oh I can hear that music<br/>
I can hear that song<br/>
Filling me with memories<br/>
Of a mother’s love so strong<br/>
Its melody still haunts me<br/>
These many years gone bye<br/>
Too ra loo ra loo ral<br/>
Until the day I die.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">As the little girl drifted to sleep, Ben sat still as he brushed Ciara’s thick, soft, jet black afro. He was content in this moment and thanked God that he was able to have such beautiful moments like these. And the Chief EADA looked forward to more memories like this one in the days ahead. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <strong> <span class="tm5">THE END</span> </strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The lullaby sang at the end is a real Irish Lullaby! It's called Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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